Toy terminal.



G H. PIERCE.

TOY TERMINAL. APPLICAHOH FILED APR/e. 191a.

' 1,278,293. Patented Sept. 10,1918.

UNITED sTA Esr TE T OFFICE.

GILMAN H. PIERCE, 0F LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

.ToY TERMINAL.

Toall whom it may concern 2 Be it known that. I, GILMAN H. PIERCE, a citizen of ,the United States, residing 'at Leominster, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, halve invented a new and useful Toy Terminal, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for supporting and guiding a rolling marble or ball in a manner to stimulate interest in'a young child.

"It is the object of my invention to provide a toy of this character which shall ably from an inclined jrunway associated therewith. Such con-trolling means may conveniently consist of a number ofsmall piv oted' switches, and certain of these switches may 'bearra'nged for distant control. These switches constitute an important part of my invention.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described andmore particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 7

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings, in which'" Figure 1 is a plan view of my toy terminal;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation taken as indicated by the arrows 2'in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view, partly in sec tion. showing the means for'connecting several parts together;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the switches, and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

way 10 to the base member 12. The several parts 10, l1, l2 and '13 may most conveniently be formed with detachable connec= Specificationof Letters Patent.

Referring to the drawings, my improved Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

Application filed April e, 1918. Serial No. 226,969.

tions, a simple type of connection being indicated in Fig. 3 and consisting merely of pins or dowels 14 adapted to be received in corresponding holes'l5. e

The connecting member 13'may be raised and supported upon a block 16, this giving the base member 12 a slightly inclined position. The runway 10" is also supported upon a block 17 of greater height than the block- 16 so that the runway is'downwardly inclined toward the member 13.?The runway and connecting member are bothformed with apalr of ralsed I'lbS 18 forming a track fora rolling marble orfball. The base members 11 and 12' are each provided with a plurality of such ribs which may have the generaloutline and position indicated in the drawings, in which it will appear that these ribs form guide ways connecting with the ribs '18 and successively branched as they recede therefrom. At the extreme endfof the base memberlll afcross piece 19 is provided, thus forming a plurality of pockets at the ends ofthe guide ways. I

"Atthe entrance of each branch guide way,

one of the'supporting ribs is cut ofi",'and

a switch 20 is pivotally secured to the base as at "21.' The switches are preferably. formed .with the general outline shown in Fig. 4, in 'which it will be seen that the switch hasoneistraight-side-surface 22 and a curved side surface 23 oppositethereto.

The pivot 21 is preferably nea'rer the rear end of the switch, and the switch tapers moregradually from the pivot toward the longer front end thereof. These switches are/movable manually and-may be set 'by V the child in'any desired combination.

I WVhen it is desired to guide a rolling ball from a straight guide way to a branch guide way, the 'switch'is set. in the'position indicated in full lines in F ig. 4. If, on the other hand, it is desired that the .ball shall continue along'the straightguide'way, the

switch is set in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4:.

\Vhile this type of switch is desirable, it

is not in all cases essential that this type 1 should be used, and I have indicated at 24:

in Fig. 1 a different type of switch'which may also be used, particularly when a guide way is branched at a pointwhere the track is curved. The switches 24 are pivoted adjacent their rear ends and taper gradually to; the opposite end. They may also be curved. in general'outline to conform to the general curvature of the track at the point where they are to be used.

I have also devised means by which certain of the switches, as 20* and 20 may be controlled from a distant point. For this purpose studs and 26 are fixed in the switches, extending downward through slots 27 (Fig. -il) in the base 12. Cords 28 and 2-) attached to the lower ends of the studs and 26 pass through guides in the form of screw eyes 30, and extend therefrom longitudinally of the base 12. Grooves 31 y be provided for the passage of the cords across the underside of the base section 11, the ends of the cords being brought out through holes in the side of the section 11 and being provided with suitable buttons or pull pieces 32 and Two cords and buttons are provided for each switch 20 and 20 and the switch can be moved to either position by pulling on the corresponding cord. The mechanism described for moving the switch is illustrative only and I do not wish to be restricted to the precise mechanism herein shown.

It will be understood that the arrangement of the straight and branch guide ways may be infinitely varied and multiplied, and that the arrangement in the drawings is illustrative only.

Having thus described my invention, it will. be evident to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I do claim is 1. A toy terminal comprising an inclined runway, a plurality of successively branched guide ways connected to said runway, and switches controlling entrance to said guide ways.

A toy terminal comprising an inclined runway, a plurality of successively branched guide ways connected to said runway, and means to guide a rolling ball from said runway along any desired course through said guide-ways.

3. A toy terminal comprising an inclined runway, a plurality of successively branched guide ways connected to said runway and leading to terminal pockets, and a switch controlling the entrance to each branch guide way.

t. A toy terminal comprising an inclined runway, a plurality of successively branched guide ways connected to said runway and leading to terminal pockets, and manually adjustable switches effective to determine the particular pocket which shall receive a ball approaching said pockets from said runway.

53. In a toy terminal, a switch block pivotally fixed at a point between its ends, said block having one straight and one curved side and tapering very gradually toward its longer front end and more abruptly toward its shorter rear end.

6. A toy terminal. comprising a base having a plurality of ribs thereon forming guide ways and pockets for a rolling ball, switches pivotally mounted on said base at the ends of said ribs and cooperating with the next adjacent rib on each side thereof to determine the path of the ball, and an inclined runway from which a rolling ball may be guided by said ribs and switches to any selected pocket.

7. A toy terminal comprising a plurality of successively branched guide ways, means to roll a ball along said guide ways, a sepa rate switch controlling the entrance to each branch guide way, and means to operate certain of said switches from a distant point.

8. A toy terminal comprising a base having a plurality of successively branched guide ways thereon, said guide ways being adapted to support a rolling ball, a manually adjustable switch controlling the entrance to each branch guide way, and means to control certain of said switches from a distant point, said means comprising cords connected to said switches and guides for said cords beneath said base, the ends of said cords extending through suitable openings in the base and being secured to pull-pieces outside of said openings.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

GILMAN H. PIERCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

